Yang Zushu, was
from Tai Chang, JiangsuProvince and was born in 1913. He studied
at SuzhouArtSchool in
his early years and later graduated from the Department of Art of CentralUniversity.

Now, a member of
China Art Association, Shanghai Artists Association. He was also professor of
Department Theatrical Art of Shanghai Theater and DramaAcademy. Consultant to Tai Chang
Calligraphy and Painting Research Institute.

He was Director,
Evaluation Committee Member, Section Chief of Oil Painting of the Shanghai
Artist Association. Director of Department of Art and Director of Painting
Teaching and Research Room of ShanghaiShinChihArtNormal
School.

Director of
Stage Art Department of Teaching and Research at Shanghai Theater and DramaAcademy, as well as Section Chief of
Painting Section

His works
“Doctor Bethune” and “Mao Tse Dong Comforting the Wounded” received the First
National Art Exhibition two major awards, namely No. 1 and No. 2 for personal
awards. In 1994 he further received Special Contribution Award from Ministry of
Culture and the PRC State Council.

In 1996 a personal show was held by
Taipei Dun Huang Gallery and published “Collected Works of Yang Zushu”. His
works are now being collected by art organizations and private collectors in the
U.S., Japan, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Since Lee Tieh
Fu studied oil painting in the U.S. in 1887 which opened the doors for Chinese
youth to study in Europe, America and Japan in a fashionable way, the traditional oil
painting was formally introduced into China. The first generation oil
painters returned and opened school to teach oil painting and spread new
thinking in art. The realistic of oil painting is easy to express life and
reflect the times, so the first generation painters enjoyed considerable
reputations and had social influences.

As compared to
the second generation of oil painters who were born around 1900, they were born
and grew up during civil wars and very few were able to study abroad during the
Japanese invasion. Therefore, they learned from those who were the first
generation and inherited the oil painting in China’s tradition and followed the styles of
those studied in Europe, America and Japan. However,
after they learned and started creating their own works, they were met with the
Russian influence. This followed by the 10 years of Cultural Revolution and they
can only teach in a broken age at the dark corner, creating without applause.
The dark clouds of the bad times hid their names and their work over half a
century. Now the long night is over and most of them have passed on, and some
are very old now.

The dark cloud
now is gone and the sun finally shines the forgotten corners. We are lucky to
see the works they left behind, the precious traits left by that generation of
people.

Yang Zushu, a
second generation Chinese oil painter, his work is known for people. Oil
painters such as Yan Tsu Su in his creation during later stages had reached a
state where laws no longer restricted him, surpassing painting types and
entering the basic concepts of art and inner inspirations. This explains why Yan
Tsu Su’s work are so easy to be close and opens the doors to poetic meanings. It
is also the concrete expression for the second generation oil painters to
accomplish the localization of oil paintings.

The localization
of oil paintings is the biggest contribution of the second generation painters
to the general picture of Chinese oil paintings. As an important member of the
Second Generation, Yang Zushu’s art will be discovered and re-appeared by people
more and more as time moves on.